Yezlyn's expression hardened, her calm completely gone.
The air around her began to freeze, the ground beneath her feet turning to crystal.
Yezlyn: "I'll ask you something serious. Do you know my disciple? If I were you… I'd answer properly."
Her voice was sharp and cold — carrying both authority and killing intent. Mana surged from her body, wild and pure, enough to make the air tremble.
In an instant, giant shards of ice formed behind her — diamond-edged and pulsing with mana strong enough to kill an A-Rank mage in one blow.
But Haru didn't move. He simply stood there — calm, cold, his eyes never leaving hers.
Haru: "Disciple?" he repeated softly. "So… that means…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Yezlyn's eyes narrowed — and the next second, the air exploded.
BOOM!
A storm of frozen blades shot toward him, crashing with a sound like thunder. The shockwave blew apart the field around them, grass turning to shards of ice.
But when the snow cleared — Haru was still standing.
A faint golden shimmer surrounded him — an invisible wall that pulsed like light itself.
S-Rank Skill: Heaven Barrier.
Yezlyn froze in disbelief.
That spell should have pierced through any mortal defense.
Yezlyn (thinking): "He blocked it… without even moving?"
Her disbelief turned to fury.
She raised both hands this time, drawing massive sigils in the air — ice dragons coiling around her arms. The temperature dropped again, frost crawling over her skin.
Yezlyn: "Let's see if your barrier can withstand this!"
She slammed her palms together.
"Frost Dominion!"
A huge storm burst from her magic circle — an endless wave of blizzards and diamond spikes crashing down from the sky.
Haru lifted his head slightly, eyes glowing faintly red. His mana surged, forming a second barrier that shimmered with light and darkness at the same time.
Haru (calmly): "Impressive. But this level won't reach me."
He waved his hand once — and the storm shattered.
The frozen field cracked, the sky cleared, and Yezlyn stumbled backward, eyes wide in shock.
The pressure around Haru grew heavier — not just mana, but something deeper.
Death Qi. It coiled around him like a shadow, dark and suffocating.
Yezlyn (thinking): "This isn't normal mana… What are you?"
Haru: "I am also… another worlder."
Yezlyn froze, her thoughts racing.
Another worlder… and this strong already? He could fight the elites — even the elders of noble families. No, maybe even anyone in the entire empire.
Yezlyn: "What business do you have with my disciple?"
Haru: "So… she's still alive."
Yezlyn's face turned serious. Slowly, she removed a ring from her finger — a ring that sealed her mana.
The moment she took it off, her power exploded outward. The ground trembled, and the mana she released was enough to cover the whole mountain.
Haru (quietly): "A… Transcended Realm."
Yezlyn — Head of the Myrren Academy, one of the strongest mages among the three empires.
Level: 105.
A glowing cosmic border formed around her, proof that she stood on another level entirely.
Yezlyn: "Tell me… are you also with him?"
Haru could tell she was far above him. For the first time, he realized he couldn't win — but he didn't feel fear.
He had faced death too many times. Death had long lost its meaning to him.
Haru: "Who's… him?"
Yezlyn: "Don't pretend. You know that name — Hyunwoo, don't you?"
Haru: "Hyunwoo?"
Yezlyn: "Answer me! Were you one of his companions? Why are you here?"
Haru fell silent, his expression cold and empty. Slowly, bloodlust began to seep from his body — thick, suffocating, and full of rage.
Haru: "What happened to him?"
His voice dropped lower, sharper.
Haru: "Answer me."
The ground cracked beneath his feet. Stones began to rise and float into the air. The sky itself seemed to freeze.
Yezlyn's eyes widened. She could feel it — the air had stopped moving, crushed by Haru's overwhelming killing intent.
It was a bloodlust strong enough to swallow an entire region.
Yezlyn's eyes narrowed. Even through the heavy air, she could sense it — the sharp vibration of transcendence.
This man… Haru wasn't just strong. He was beyond the mortal level.
A Saint.
Impossible, she thought. Another worlder reaching transcendence this early?
Before she could speak again, the ground cracked open with a surge of pressure.
A wave of crimson light burst between them, cutting through their killing intent like a blade through mist.
???: "Enough. Both of you — stop."
The voice carried calm authority that made even the air obey.
A tall man stepped out from a shimmering red barrier — his presence alone shaking the ground beneath them.
His aura wasn't wild like bloodlust. It was pure, bright, and divine — the aura of one who had transcended the peak of power itself.
A red brilliance burned around him, wrapping his figure like living fire.
Yezlyn: "Duke Darius…"
She slowly slipped the ring back on her finger, sealing her mana once more, and straightened her robe.
Haru's eyes followed the man in silence. His instincts screamed danger. Without hesitation, he activated his system.
> [Scanning…]
Name: Darius Valcrest
Title: Sword God
Position: Duke of the Valtherion Empire
Level: — 110
The result made Haru's eyes narrow slightly. So this is the man they call the Sword God.